Study: 68% of B2B Buyers Made Online Purchases Last year

A new study from Accenture Interactive finds that 68% of B2B buyers purchases goods or services online in 2014.

According to the firm, resistance to change from long-term buyers is the top challenge standing in the way of online growth for B2B organizations.

78% report moving customers online has the potential to strengthen customer awareness of new products while 74% say it improves cost efficiencies. 70% say it increases the number of new customers.

"Interestingly, current strategies for moving customers online vary by industry," a spokesperson for Accenture Interactive tells WebProNews. "While email tactics are consistently used across industries, other nuances emerged that speak to the needs of buyers in each sector."

"Editorial content is a critical part of eCommerce initiatives for technology and manufacturing and distribution initiatives, suggesting the need for more compelling reading material in sectors where the subject matter is dense," the spokesperson says. "Manufacturing and distribution firms emphasize two-way communication tactics, indicating their customers may need more hand-holding to adjust to online purchasing."

According to the survey, social media campaigns work well for retailers, which Accenture says speaks to the power of social persuasion in the industry.